Appliance for playing an indoor or outdoor game



w. M. SHORT. APPLIANCE FOR PLAYING AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GAME. 1,404,149.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

2 5HEETSSHEET I.

w. M. SHORT. APPLIANCE FOR PLAYING AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GAME. k

APPLICATION FILED OCT: 3, I92]. 1,404,149, Patented Jan. 17, 1922'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRID MAURICE SHORT, OF CROYIDON, ENGLAND.

APPLIANCE FOR PLAYING AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed October 3, 1921. Serial No. 505,206.

' door or Outdoor Games, (for which I have filed an application in GreatBritain, Serial No. 5,344 23rd February, 1920, and France, Serial No.144,913, th May, 1921,) of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to appliances for playing an indoor oroutdoor game and provides novel arrangements and combinations of suchappliances, An object is to utilize these appliances for playing a gamewhich not only combines many of the attractive features of lawn tennis,badminton, and pingpong, but makes play possible out-doors all the yeararound, in areas which may be restricted, and upon any ground.

The appliances to which the invention relates are of the kind comprisinga net, like a lawn tennis net, set up transversely across the fieldofplay, and on each side of the net one or more objectives or targetsfor balls played from the opposite side of the net.

Whereas hitherto the targets have had forms, such as of pockets, cupsand so on, adapted for receiving or retaining the ball. according to thepresent invention the targets consist of solid discs, boards or likemembers from which the ball will return, these targets being set up in aplane about perpendicular to the field of play and at such a height thatthe player who defends the target is able with requisite skill to prevent with his racquet, bat, or the like, the said target being hit bythe player who serves the ball from the opposite side of the net. Theremay be more than one target for each player, and since, as in lawntennis there may be' more than one player on one or both sides of thenet, the number of targets may be duplicated, the arrangement being suchthat each player can defend a target or set of targets.

The targets may be supported win any suitable manner-either bysuspension from or support on horizontal or inclined wires, bars, or thelike, which are again supported by posts provided for the purpose, oreven by the, vwall of the. enclosure wherein the game is to be playedordirectly by posts. The bars referred to might consist of short bracketssecured to the posts, or they might be jointly supported by posts ateach of their ends. In that case, the space embraced by the two postsand cross bar might constitute a goal, should it be desired to give theserver a second motive in playing the ball. The targets might then bemounted either on the cross bar, or on the goal posts or on both ofthese.

The targets are conveniently adjustable in height, to suit the wishes ofthe players.

For outdoor games, the standards or posts are so constructed that theymay be easily placed in position, and for use on hard surfaces(asphalte, wooden floors etc.) they may be made to fit into fixedsockets, or into a base sufliciently weighted to keep them in position.Any suitable means of keeping the posts in position, both on lawns andon hard surfaces, may be employed.

The solid discs, boards or the like constituting the targets may be ofany suitable size, shape, and form, and, if more than one be employed,need not necessarily be of uniform size, shape, and form. They may be ofany thickness, and be made of wood, tin, or any substance or materiallikely to serve the purpose. They should, of course. be as light aspossible. 7

As in the game of lawn tennis, the game is played by two, three, or fourplayers, and upon a court divided across the middle by a net, or partnet as in badminton.

The players endeavour by means of bats. rackets, or the like, to strikea ball, pref erably of about the size of a tennis ball, or othersuitable projectile, over the net, with the primary object of hitting atarget, and also of hitting it over the net in such a way that theopponent or opponents fail. to return it. The services may be deliveredfrom a suitable place, as the base-line.

The scoring would depend upon whether a target is hit, whether theopponent fails to return the ball, if he does so where it drops, and soon. Vhere goals are employed, special points might be scored forOhtaining a goal.

For indoor games the targets are suitably mounted, or made to stand onthe similartothat employed in lawn tennis or in badminton is set uponthe field of play,

2, and in proximity with the latter there are also set up the targets 3,consistingof solid discs as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, or

boards or plates of other forms, for in stance, as in the remainingfigures. The targets areshown carried by vertical posts 4, and may beeither directly mounted on the, posts (Figs. 2, 5) or be carried byhorizontal or inclined bars 7 as in the other figures. As seenparticularly in the detail views (Figs. 4-9), the targets are adjustablein height, such as by the employment of a slidablesleeve 5 on the post,which I sleeve may be clamped at a desired height by a suitable clampingdevice such as a screw 6.

Figs. 3, 8, 9 show goals formed by the 7 horizontal or inclined bars 7and the posts 7 suitable manner.

4. The disc 3 may be arranged either below or above, or between, itssupporting bars, and may be split as shown in the last figure. V

The posts 4 are held vertically in any Fig. 4 shows a socket 8 forreceiving the post, and Fig. 5 shows -a weighted base 9, which willoften sufiice to hold the post sufliciently steadily.

No broad claim is made to devices comprising a solid disc target mountedon a horizontal bar supported at its two ends by posts, such a device,without vertical adjust ment of the bar,'having been suggested for gameswherein no net is employed. Moreover, ring-fonned devices adjustable onposts have been proposed for game appliances notof the kind referred to.

What I claim is 1 '1. In a game appliance adapted to be used on a fieldof play, a support near one end of the field of play, a target on saidsupport and serving as an objective for a game piece and a net arrangedtransversely of the field of play and between the position of a playerand the target.

2. Apparatus for playing a game with a game piece on a field ofplaycomprising a support near each end of the field of play, target on eachsupport and serving as an objective for the game piece, and a netarranged transversely of said field of play and betweenthe positions ofcertain of the players and their respective targets.

game piece on a field of play comprising a support near each end of thefield of play,

vertically adjustable means on said support,

a target attached to each of said vertically adjustable means andarranged in a. plane substantially perpendicular to the field oi play,and anet arranged transversely ofthe field of play and between thepositions of certainoi the players and their respective I a 3. Apparatusfor playing a gamewith a targets.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim in l which said vertically adjustablemeans comprises bars extending from said supports and means for clampingsaid bars to said supports. J l

A game apphancecompr sing a net supported by each of said pairs of postsand 7 comprising two portions each of which is supported by one of saidbars.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my sigma-' ture.

WILFRID MAURICE SHORT.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,404,119, grantedJanuary 17,

1922, upon the application of Wilfrid Maurice Short, of Croydon,England, for an improvement in Appliances for Playing Indoor or OutdoorGames, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 2, line 77,

claim 4, for the numeral 2 read 3; and that the said Letters Patentshould be read With this correction therein that the same may conform tothe record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of February, A. D., 1922.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

